lovabutterfly
3 weeks post-op
Jun 12, 2013
my incision dressings: cleanse site with saline, pat dry (lightly), apply triple antibiotic ointment or vitacilina, put gauze over incision,I'm using the rolls on gauze instead of 4x4's it is MUCH easier, then instead of taping the gauze to keep it in place use Coban flexible bandage that can be found in the pharmacy section I also started thinkiny yesterday and to save money the gauze could be wrapped with a short thin piece of ace bandage that can be washed to save money. I have used this method because the tape was breaking me out so bad. I also put 1/2 of a 4x4 gauze pad rolled up into my butt crack because i have a spot that is slower to heal in this area. I use the other half of the 4x4 over my belly button and then wrap again with the Coban to avoid tape on my skin. The only area i do tape is the lower portion under my breast where the gauze is, the compression bra keeps the top portion in place without needing tape there. I got my stitches out of my breast and belly button exactly on day 21 and will take them out of my Lower body soon, i'm just watching a spot on my left hip and the spot in my butt crack that have been slower to heal. My incisions look really good. I do still feel a little tight in my incision area in the back more than anywhere and my incision in the bottom of my breast where the garment hits it is very dry feeling and a bit sore but very tolerable, just sore. Iam still sleeping in my recliner because my butt flaps are to sore when i try to lay on my back in bed and to sore to sleep on my side from them also. I have a little less than 3 weeks left to wear my garments. They sure do dry out your skin but they work wonders to keep you from swelling to much, i am still swollen in my genital area (i think from my garments being to tight in the crotch area), and my legs are still swollen but not as bad as it was. my tummy on the bottom portion still puffs out a little so i keep a hand rag in between my skin and the garment for extra compression and it helps tremendously to keep it flattened out, my mons area is swollen also and the hand rag is helping with this area also. Pain has been almost non existent during this whole process most the annoyances are just that, the itching from the tape breaking me out has been a pain in the rear as well as the itching just from being dried out from the garment. The other annoyance was the sheer exhaustion just from doing small things like getting your dressings changed and talking a shower. The exhaustion is about completely gone now, i feel about 75% better. My legs and butt still feel the most swollen and i will be glad when they go down so i can feel like there is improvement in these areas (not that they aren't improved, even with my butt swollen it is smooth and looks 100x better than pre-op). The drains i would say were about the worst part of this whole thing having to lug them around and how they burned with every movement i would make where they entered my mons area. I am so glad they are gone and keep praying that i never develop a seroma or anything. I do plan on going back to have my arms and legs done as well as the tiny waddle under my chin but wont even start planning that trip until i am done with school next year. I am very happy with all my results except my breast, individually they look amazing and i am happy with them compared to what i had but seperately i expected to come out of this with breast that were pretty close in size, my right nipple points more toward my arm pit....i was told this is the natural position so i'm fine with this but my left nipple is straight forward. I do have implants so don't take this to mean this is my final results, i will be waiting until i'm at least 6 months post-op beforei decide if this is what i am going to be left with. They are also a whole size different right now, they have always been a whole size different and i mentioned the size difference during my markup but i don't think he remembered during surgery or something. I'm going to wait as i said and make sure the right isn't just more swollen as i am still bruised in the right side even at 3 weeks out but i think even with the implants settling i'm gonna be left with results that i didn't expect. I am going to email Dr. S soon and see what he says about my breast issue, i know women naturally have different size breast but not a whole size to where i am going to have to stick with my sports bras because the cup size is that different, so i am playing the waiting game right now. I will get them sized after i am healed more and everything is settled. My email is messed up so i won't be able to email the good doc until i get it fixed.
